Stepping out of the tent, the man rubbed his eyes with his left hand.
He was tired.
Tired of moving.
Tired of searching.
Tired of being alone.
But most of all, he was tired of failing his son.
"Mokoto!"
A voice yelled from afar. Even with all the shouting, fighting, and metal clanking through the camp, he heard that voice clearly. The voice of the mother of his child. The voice of the woman he loved, Karai.
Looking up, he saw her standing in front of a huge bonfire, arms crossed, eyes locked on him. She clearly wanted him to come over.
Walking toward her, he took in her appearance. Karai was a headstrong woman, and she carried herself like it. She stood as tall as he did, at six feet. She had wild, spiky black hair that reached her back, tied into a high ponytail.
Hard, dark-red eyes that had seen too many battles. Scars scattered across her body plus a fresh one on her left cheek.
Now standing in front of her, the two stared at each other for a moment before Karai suddenly threw a punch at his head. Mokoto easily caught it.
"What was that for?"
Karai yanked her hand back with a fanged smirk.
"Seemed like you were in your head again. So I wanted to get that mopey look off your face."
He smiled and shook his head—a rare sight on him, but Karai always brought it out. It was how he'd fallen in love with her.
But as quickly as the smile came, it faded. He sighed, eyes drifting toward the fire.
Seeing this, Karai spoke.
"Did you speak to him?"
"I did," he said.
Karai squinted at him.
"Did you actually talk to him, or did you just give him a scroll and leave?"
Mokoto didn't answer immediately. Then spoke.
"He's changed. He used to be quieter… closed off. He could barely look me in the eyes. But now it's like all of that vanished."
Karai didn't interrupt. She just watched him, her expression softening. The fire crackled, throwing sparks into the night.
"That's not a bad thing," she finally said. "The crew likes him. He listens. He adapts. He fights back when he's cornered." Her lip curled into a half grin. "He's turning into a real little monster."
Makoto shook his head. "That's not what worries me."
Karai raised a brow. "Then what does?"
Makoto's jaw tightened. He looked down at his hands.
"He's not scared of me anymore."
Karai blinked. "Why would you want him to be scared of you?"
"I don't," he said quietly. Roughly. "But a child should… hesitate. Respect. Something. When I spoke to him earlier, he just… looked through me. Like he was analyzing me. Like I was another obstacle he needed to understand."
Karai's grin faded.
Makoto continued, "He's five, Karai. Five. Yet he moved around me like." He exhaled sharply. "Like he wasn't talking to his father. He was talking to a stranger."
Karai uncrossed her arms.
She stepped closer until the flames outlined her silhouette. "You think that's your fault."
Makoto didn't answer.
Karai flicked his forehead. Hard.
"Of course it's your fault," she said bluntly. "You weren't here."
He winced but didn't argue.
"But," she added, stepping beside him, tone dropping lower, "You're here now. He may not realize it, but that means a lot more than he thinks."
Makoto's eyes softened, though not fully.
"He looked at you today, right?" she asked.
Makoto nodded.
"Then that's already more than you deserve."
He closed his eyes and smiled.
Karai turned toward the fire. "Give him time. Arashi doesn't hate you. He just learned how to live without you. That's different."
Makoto stared into the flames, distant.
Karai nudged his arm. "If you want him to trust you again, then how about staying for once in a while instead of looking for a dead clan."
He looked at her.
And this time, the fire reflected in both their eyes. Karai realized what she'd said and looked away, scratching the back of her head.
"Sorry. Maybe that was too far."
Before he could respond, three small men came running toward them.
"Karai! Karai! We have news!"
"The mole brothers?" Karai said, confused.
The Mole Brothers were known for their information-gathering. They specialized in Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique and could sustain it for three hours before tiring.
Once they reached her, one handed her a scroll.
"Karai, this is bad."
"We were doing our usual routes around camp when we were ambushed!" said the second.
"Karai we saw their headbands. It's not one of the small villages anymore. It's the Hidden Cloud!" the third screamed.
Karai's eyes widened. She ripped open the scroll, scanned it fast, and crushed it in her fist before throwing it into the fire.
"Fuck," she muttered through gritted teeth.
"What did they say?" Mokoto asked.
"Long story short, we caught their attention. Either we join them or we're dead. And I highly doubt they want bandits who learned jutsu from looting scrolls." She clicked her tongue. "So they definitely want us dead."
Mokoto sighed. "Karai, this is bad. If you're marked, then sooner or later they'll strike again."
There was a pause.
Karai stared into the fire, then closed her eyes.
When she spoke, her voice was gentler.
"Which is why this is our last job. We take out these hideouts and kill Matsugi. After that, we take everything he has and settle down."
She looked at him with a soft expression.
"All of us."
Mokoto exhaled. "I'll watch your back for this raid in case they're still around. After that, I'm leaving."
She nodded.
Mokoto flashed away.
Karai inhaled deeply, then whipped around with a serious expression.
"Doro inform everyone. Ganbo bring Pakku, Jubo, and Hina to me. Sendo grab Arashi. We're leaving now!"